After three days of meetings with leaders of the resistance: lawyers, teachers, media, politicians, leaders of the women’s movement, human rights organizations, it has become evident that the de facto regime contends to go forward with its delusions of democracy by putting forward this mock election. Five months since the military escorted Zelaya out of the country in his pajamas they continue with its campaign of terror and repression against the Honduran people. It doesn’t plan to stop anytime soon.
As we edge closer and closer to Sunday so called elections most of the leadership of the Frente has gone into hiding as the resistance has told people to stay home in boycott of the election. The Frente also wants people to be out of the sight of the military so they cannot blame the resistance for disruptions. This has become common in the capitol where daily explosions are blamed on the Frente, but the non violent resistance claims these are acts carried out by the state. “Bombs going off are a part of the terror campaign by the coup today and yesterday,” Bertha Olivia from the committee de familias de defonidos. On August11 a Popeye’s fast food restaurant was burned to the ground sparking a huge crackdown on civil liberties by the military detaining 1500 Hondurans. Many witnesses claim that pro coup infiltrators were responsible for the explosions at Popeye’s and others.
While the leadership in Tegucigalpa has called for people to stay home the Frente in San Pedro is doing just the opposite with a planned march tomorrow at ten in the morning. The leadership has decided that it is best to take advantage of the opportunity being presented by all the international presence here in Honduras. “Now is our time to show the world that the resistance is real and in full force,” called out a man at the Frente meeting today. I couldn’t agree more.